• Go to the Atlas of Canada Web site at: atlas.gc.ca
• Select People and Society from the left hand column under the title Explore Our Maps.
• Choose Population from the pop-out menu that appears.
• Choose Population Density, 2001 Map under the title 2001 Population.
• Choose Read about this map . Read the text and answer the question below:

What is Canada's population density?

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In this section, you will compare cities of similar populations and find their population density.

• Select the Population Density, 2001 Map of Canada.
• Complete the organizer below for each city that is listed. Follow the steps below to find the information for Toronto :

• Using the Zoom to Region tool, choose Ontario .
• Choose the Zoom In tool and then click on Toronto. Keep zooming in until it shows the census subdivisions in the legend.
• The purple areas represent the highest population densities. Use the Get Info from Map tool and then click on the City of Toronto. Record the 2001 population and population density.
• Choose Toronto Statistics beside the title Statistics Canada's Community Profile and record the land area from their Web site.
• Repeat these steps for the other cities in your organizer below.

[D]
Click for more information, 3 KB
Finding the data

Now that you have collected data for various Canadian cities you can compare them to analyse the relationship between population and area.

1. Toronto's population is double the size of Montreal's, yet Toronto's population density is smaller. Why?

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2. Explain why Victoria has a higher population density than Ottawa.

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3. Compare the city of Vancouver to Edmonton based on population, density and area.

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4. Compare Charlottetown to St. John's based on population, density and area.

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5. Go back to Part A of this activity. What is Canada's population density? How is this misleading, based on the information you have gathered about cities in Canada?

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6. List some of the advantages and disadvantages to living in an area with a:

a) high population density:

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b) low population density

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